Hello again everyone! Sorry about the delay. I don't have a great excuse, but I had a bit of writer's block with a few small things here and there. I'm thinking there will only be two more chapters, although the last one might end up longer than normal.
Shieldliger001: Mesprit sent them to their more immediate goal. They had been planning to visit Ramiro before heading anywhere else. Let's just say fight scenes are hard, and I kinda wrote myself into a corner anyways.
Rocker on: They'll definitely would meet up at some point, although it won't be in my writing. That's on What Lies Beyond if she so chooses. It could be any combination of reasons why they hate hybrids, I'll leave that to the reader's imagination. A summer home is a good analogy.
On with the story!
We sat on the ground inside Ramiro's compound. It hadn't taken too long to get Ramiro caught up on what had happened in the last few months. In hindsight, we mostly just spent a lot of time walking. However, they say the journey is more important than reaching your destination, and I can't really disagree.
"I'm glad you two stuck together." Ramiro said, after we finished telling the story.
"The whole time I was afraid that we might not." I said.
Alejandra smiled at that. "Arceus kept us together, can't really ask for more assurance than that."
Ramiro nodded, sagely. "I can't agree more, although the price… a life wandering is not an easy path."
"We have each other." I said. "We'll manage, one way or another."
"Speaking of wandering, where's the compass pointing now?" Alejandra asked.
I pulled it out, holding it flat in the palm of my hand. As ever, it spun thrice before settling. The needle pointed south east, but seemed to waver ever so slightly.
"How often do you check the compass?" Ramiro asked.
I shrugged. "Once a day at most."
Ramiro shook his head. "You should check it more often, especially while traveling. You could pass by where you need to be without knowing it." He said.
I looked down at the device, wondering why I hadn't realized that. "Thanks for the advice, I'll be sure to do that." I said.
We lapsed into silence.
"I thought I'd have more to say." Alejandra said, after a few seconds. "I guess that more than I thought goes without saying."
Ramiro gave a sad smile. "I know. Just visit me whenever you find the time, and remember I'm always here to help."
Alejandra stood up, and I followed suit. I felt incredibly serene, maybe sitting in the sun for a few hours did more than I thought.
Alejandra looked conflicted. I could tell she both wanted to stay longer and wanted to get going, but in the end there was little tying her down here. We were both adults, as weird as it was to realize.
I still felt like a child, going on this adventure. I had always thought that I would lead a boring life, ever since my dream of being a trainer died. Wandering a region far from home just didn't mesh with my ideals of adulthood.
"Take care of yourselves." Ramiro said.
Alejandra seemed to have made up her mind. "Bye, papá." She said, giving a parting wave.
We headed out eastward, and as we walked I frequently checked the compass. We made good progress, stopping for the night at the top of the large cliff.
The needle now pointed south-southeast. We had to be getting close now. Alejandra rested her head across my chest, her warmth bringing rest to me swiftly.
The next morning brought rain and thunder, and strong winds that buffeted the trees, the weakest threatening collapse. We arose early, Alejandra getting under a tree for shelter as soon as she woke up.
We set out once more, following the compass to this unknown destiny. I felt a sense of unease, like something was not quite right. I forced the feeling down, but eventually I couldn't ignore it any longer.
"Something's off around here." I said. "But I can't figure out what."
Alejandra looked around. "I know what you mean. It's like we're being watched."
As if on cue, a houndoom emerged from the bushes before us. It looked malnourished, fresh looking scars on its side. I recognized the pokemon, although the difference from before was striking.
"I know you. You lead a clan or something around here." I called out, shifting to a slightly wider stance. The rain beat down on us, harder than before, muffling all other noises.
"Used to." The houndoom growled, poised to strike. "I was usurped. As ever, the string depose the weak. Now your time comes."
Straight to the point then. I sidestepped the attack, the houndoom's jaws closing on air. I gathered energy in my leaves, slashing one down the pokemon's side. Alejandra simultaneously landed a kick to his ribs, trailing a line of fire in the wake of the strike.
The houndoom fell to the ground, struggling to get up. His existing wounds were doing more than we had at this point. I looked down on him. "That's the second time you've underestimated me. Maybe you aren't as strong as you thought." I said.
I saw comprehension dawn in his eyes as we walked away. I didn't give a backward glance, even as I could feel eyes following me.
"I remember you telling me about that houndoom." Alejandra said, after a minute or two trudging along. "You always sounded so scared of him."
"It's not hard to fear something larger than you." I said.
She gave a slight nod, but said nothing else. The rain continued to pour down, and we kept walking. Every hour or so I would check the compass, watching the needle make its way to point southeast.
By the time we stopped for the night the rain had cleared up. We set up camp in a clearing, and Alejandra lit a small fire so we could dry our clothes. We sat together by the fire, side by side, and to me it felt like home.